Sign



Oct. 6 1925- N. M. STANLEY SIGN Filed Feb. 2, 2

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Patented Oct. 6, 1925.

UNITED STATES NATHAN M. STANLEY, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

SIGN.

Application filed February 2, 1925. Serial No. 6,256.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NATHAN M. San-wear, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Signs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to signs for advertising purposes and the like, and its principal object is to capture the attention of persons coming into its vicinity. As its merits will be better appreciated after its operation is understood I shall begin by describing its mechanism.

In the accompanying drawing,

Fig. 1 shows a front view of my sign, which comprises a plurality of independent characters Fig. 2 is a rear view, showing the mechanism for oscillating the characters, each on a separate axis;

Fig. 3 is an end view, partly in section, and Y Fig. 4 is a modified structure.

The background for the letters or characters of the sign, indicated at 10, is a plate which also serves as a support for the lettersand parts of the mechanism. This plate forms the back of a box or cabinet 11, having an opening 12 at the front through which the letters are seen. A very effective finish for the interior of this cabinet, including the plate 10, is dead black. This sets off the letters 13 very well, the letters being either white or colored. Extending rearwardly from the cabinet is a base 14. to carry the remainder of the mechanism of the sign. In the lower part of the cabinet, concealed by a portion of the front, I place small electric lamps 28 which cast a flood of light on the characters. If desired two sets of light, differing in color, may be used, lighted alternately.

Attached to the plate 10 are a plurality of journals 20, one for each character 13, and a shaft 21 is arranged to rock in each journal. The characters are rigidly secured to the front ends of these shafts, and an arm 22 is ri 'dly secured to the rear end of each shaft. hese arms are connected by a link 23. A motor 24 is mounted on the base 14 and drives a worm gear 25, this gear carrying a crank 26 which is connected by a pitman 27 to the link. It is obvious that the motion imparted to the characters is oscillatory. In Fig. 1 the characters are at approximately one end of their movement. A holder 29 at the upper edge of the cabinet is adapted to receive a card or other removable sign.

In the present embodiment of my invention the characters oscillate on axes situated near the upper edges of the characters. This is not essential, however, as the axes may be placed at or near the centers of the characters, or in any other desired position, either within or without the area of the characters. The present embodiment is designed principally for use in show windows, or in stores and the like. With suitable structure modifications, such as increased size, strength, etc., the invention may be adapted to use on outside bill boards or even on house tops.

The power of these oscillating characters to arrestattention of passers by is obvious. But even when the motor stops the sign is effective. Nor does it matter what position the characters occupy when themotor comes to rest; the sign always looks as though it were intended to be the way it is. It is superior to the ordinary illuminated sign in'that it is equally effective, night or day. Other mechanism than that shown may be employed for oscillating the characters. For

example, toothed segments may be mounted on the shafts 21 in place of the arms 22, and be oscillated by a common rack, the rack being reciprocated by the motor, worm gear and pitman shown.

In the modified structure shown in Fig. 4 the characters of a whole word are joined by connecting members 30, and the frame or integer 31 so formed is supported on the lower ends of two links 32, corresponding to arms 22. The upper ends of these links 32 are pivotally attached to the back of the cabinet at 33-33, studs 34 extending through curved slots 35 in the back of the cabinet and attaching to the frame 31. This frame is oscillated by a motor and associated mechanism similar to that shown in Fig. 2. By painting the connecting members 30 dead black, to correspond with the interior of the cabinet, while painting the letters of the word white or some bright color, the letters are made to appear as though they were detached and swinging in unison to and fro in the cabinet.

Other modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of my invention or exceeding the scope of my claims.

1 What I claim as my invention is as folows:

1. In a sign, a plurality of movableletters pivoted at one end thereof closely adjacent thereto so that the upper end does not move bodily laterally and means for moving said letters bodily about said pivotal points.

2. In a sign, a plurality of movable letters pivoted at one end thereof closely adjacent thereto so that the upper end does not move bodily laterally and means for moving said letters bodily about said pivotal points, said means being so arran ed that the letters will move in spaced relationship to one another, maintaining their spaced relationship at all times in their movements.

3, In a sign, a plurality of movable letters pivoted at one end thereof closely adjacent thereto so that the upper end does not move bodily laterally, means for moving said letters bodily about said pivotal points, and mechanism located on a common pedestal on a plane below and behind said letters for operating said moving means.

4:, A $1 comprising a cabinet having an opening in the front thereof, a series of shafts journalledin the back plate of said cabinet, each shaft having rigidly mounted on the end extending into said cabinet a character, an arm rigidly secured at oneend to each of said shafts on the outside of said back plate, a connecting link rigidly secured to the other end of each of said arms, said character being pivoted closely adjacent the top thereof, a ase extending rearwardly from said cabinet, a motor mounted on said base, means actuated by said motor, and an arm connectin said actuated means to said connecting lin whereby movement is imparted to each of said characters.

5. In a sign, a lurality of letters pivoted at the top of can letter and adapted to be moved about said ivot a limited extent so that the upper portlon of the letter can always be read while the lower portion of the letter will move suificiently to attract attention, whereby the sign can be read by observing the relatively stationaryupper portions of the letters, and attention will be attracted to the sign by the greater movement of the lower portions of the letters, and means for effecting such movement.

6. In a sign, a plurality of letters pivoted at the top of each letter and adapted to be moved about said pivot a limited extent so that the upper portion of the letter can a1- ways-be read While the lower portion of the,

letter will move sufliciently to attract attention, whereby the sign can be read by ob serving the relatively stationary upperpon tions of the letters, and attention will be attracted to the sign by the greater movement of the lower portions of the letters, and means for efi'ecting such movement in unison,

NAlliiAl l M. STAN LE1. 

